Update on development in Foredown Road and Fox Way in Portslade

Brighton landlord Mike Stimpson was granted outline planning permission to build 14 houses on scrubland on the corner of Foredown Road and Fox Way in Portslade last July.

The scheme included seven two-bedroom houses and seven with three bedrooms – but none of them were classed as affordable.

Mr Stimpson offered instead to turn another property that he owned into affordable housing – the former Mission Church Hall, in Bentham Road, Brighton.

The former Mission Church Hall, in Bentham Road, Brighton

But in November, councillors turned down his plans to convert the Bentham Road property into low-cost “social” housing – eight studio flats and a two-bedroom flat.

While they welcomed the idea of affordable housing on the site, they said that the design before them was “poky”.

Now, Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee is preparing to look again at the Portslade plans.

Officials have published a report backing a proposal for Mr Stimpson to pay a “commuted sum” of more than £750,000.

The money would be a “developer contribution” towards the council’s own affordable housing plans in recognition of the lack of affordable housing on Mr Stimpson’s land. Land at the junction of Foredown Road And Fox Way

If councillors accept the proposal, officials would be expected to amend the deal – the conditions – governing the planning permission for the Portslade site.

When the original application went before the planning committee nine months ago, councillors were told that Mr Stimpson had intended to use a neighbouring plot for the “affordable” homes.

But the number of affordable homes – four out of the 14 – would have been too few for a housing association to take on.

When the planning committee met last July, Green councillor Sue Shanks said: “This is a good site, I would have thought, for affordable housing.

“I’m a bit concerned that we’re waiting until they develop something else which may not happen. I would have thought that would be more appropriate on the existing site.”

More than once Cllr Shanks has asked whether the council could manage affordable homes in schemes like Mr Stimpson’s.

Foredown Road and Fox Way junction development proposed layout

But the council’s housing department – like most housing associations – regards them as too small to be cost-effective.

Instead, the solution has tended to be for developers to offer the council money to spend on its own plans to build affordable houses and flats.

Last month, the developer Blue Goldstone offered to pay the council £3.6 million rather than include affordable flats on the site of the old KAP Peugeot car dealership in Newtown Road, Hove.

The Portslade proposal is due to be decided by the planning committee at Hove Town Hall next Wednesday.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 2pm and to be webcast on the council’s website.